8r2 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[April 2, 1883. 



the nursery. When we first planted, about the middle 

 of November last, there were no germs visible. It maif 

 throw off the attack and not suffer much in the future. 

 — C&r. " Oeylon Times." 



A Forest Monarch. — Near Mexico Mo., on the farm 

 of Charles Cowan, there was a tree that measured nine 

 feet in diameter at the butt; it was 101 feet high, the 

 first limb putting out 30 feet above the ground. The 

 age of this tree was supposed to be 300 years. AVhen 

 the tree was felled and cut up it made 8(X> rails, 300 

 fence posts and 10 cords of wood. By its fall 12 squir- 

 rels and one racoon were lulled. — Chicago Lumberman. 



Tree Planting extraordinary. — It may not be general- 

 ly known that the Duke of Athole is one of the most exten- 

 isve tree planters in the world There are already vast woods 

 and plantations in Athole and Dunkeld, and as, of course, 

 they exist for use as well as ornament, large numbers of trees 

 have to be planted annually to maintain the woods. In- 

 deed, every year the Duke plants from 600.000 to a mil- 

 lion trees. During this season a plantation covering 2,000 

 acres has be.en completed. It may be remembered that 

 the Duke of Athole's plantations were thinned of 80,000 

 trees by the gale which destroyed the Tay Bridge. When 

 the Planter-Duke began operations on a large scale, in 

 1774, the Dunkeld hills were almost bare. During his 

 hfe the Duke, who may be described as a true bene- 

 factor to his country, planted 27,000,000 trees, covering 

 15,000 acres. — Land. 



GujANTic Olive Trees. — A correspondent of the Berlin 

 Gaytfii Zfitunif states that there is an olive tree at Ben- 

 dinal, near Palma, in the Island of Majorca, that has a 

 trunk 13 metres in circumfernce. The tree is of little 

 height, and has few branches. Its fruit is Uke that of 

 the younger trees. He goes on to say that the olive 

 trees of Jerusalem are computed to be 2,000 years old, 

 and they ,are only 6 metres in circumference. How old, 

 then, he asks, may the Majorca tree be ? Perhaps not 

 so old as those at Jerusalem, we answer. Coutance, in 

 his admirable '* History of the Olive," mentions one tree 

 as having a trunk 12^ metres in ciruumference close to 

 the ground, and 6 metres at 1 metre from the grotmd. 

 This tree stands between Villefranche and Nice, and was 

 a notable tree in 1515. He also quotes another writer, 

 though he does not seem convinces! of his veracity, who 

 describes an olive tree whose hollow trunk was so large 

 that a score of persons could take shelter within it at 

 once. — Gardeners^ Chornicle. 



Effect of Trees and Tree Plantixw on Clijviate. — 

 The following is an extract from remarks with reference 

 to the influence of woods and forests on climate, made 

 by Dr. Schomburgh in an appendix to his report of the 

 Adelaide Botanic Garden : — " If any one still feels in- 

 clined to doubt the influence of forests on the climate 

 of a country, I beg to give several instances of modern 

 time.s. The Delta of Egypt, well known for its dry cli- 

 mate after the destruction of its forests — olive and other 

 plantations — had about six rainy days every year on an 

 average ; but since so many millions of useful trees have 

 agam been planted, the rainy days have increased to 

 forty days annually. It is also mentioned that the Vi- 

 ceroy, Mehemet Ali, had planted on the Delta twenty 

 millions of trees. These results are confirmed by renowned 

 travellers in Egypt, but especially by Mons, Pouchet. 

 Many millions of trees have been planted in the barren 

 and swampy districts of France, also thousands of acres 

 in the desert of Algiers have been transformed into for- 

 ests with trees suitable to the climate, and with sur- 

 prising results. By the last accounts these plantations, 

 especially of the Australian species, have already reached 

 the height of 30 to 40 feet, and with their rapid gro^vth 

 a gi'eat change of the climate is observable, and twice 

 more rain and dew has fallen in the neighbourhood of 

 these fore.sts than before. More than sixteen geographi- 

 cal square miles of the swampy and unhealthy country 

 along the coast of the Bay of Biscay, in the Depart- 

 ment of Lands, wher*^ swamp fever prevailed, have been 

 planted with milUons of trees, especially the cork oak, 

 and swamp \ni\e ( Finns mfiritimxs), vnth. a suiprisingly 

 beneficial result. Not alone have the trees drained the 

 land, but tiiey have changed it into a healtliy country 

 with fine forests." — Journal of Forestr//. 



Cardamoms. — In rich moist lands in Northern Queens- 

 land this plant should be readily established, and prove 

 a valuable addition to our marketable products. — Queens- 

 lander. 



Palm Seeds. — We hear from Mr. Joseph Stevenson, 

 Honorary Secretary, Agri-Horticultural Society's Garden 

 Madras, that he experiences great difficulty in making 

 exchanges of Palm seeds. At the pre.sent time the gard- 

 en authorities possess quantities of seeds of the fol- 

 lowing Palms: — Oorypha urabraculifera, Livistona mauriti- 

 ana, Elseis guineensis, Oaryota ureus, Areca catechu, and 

 several varieties of Phtenix and would be glad to receive 

 offers in exchange from some of oiu- readers. — Gardeners' 

 Chronicle. 



Cattle Poisoned by Laburnum. — I have always under- 

 stood that the seeds of this tree are the part containing mat- 

 ter injurious to both human beings and cattle, and as your 

 correspondent. Dr. Stark, mentions that there were pods both 

 on the Laburnum that proved poisonous, and on the branches 

 that were eaten with impunity, I conclude that the pods on 

 the first contained their seeds, and that those on the branches 

 had shed them, or else that the poison is more active at one 

 particular stage of the ripening process that it is at another. 

 HOLOM E. WArxEV.. — Gardtutrs' Chronicle. 



Wood-Ashes. — The usefulness of wood-ashes as a manure 

 for the garden generally is now fully acknowledged on all 

 hands, and, thanks to the laborious investigations of analytical 

 chemists who have lent their aid to the practical horticulturist, 

 we also know that it is more necessary to some members of 

 the vegetable creation than to others, or, at least, is required 

 in larger proportion in the soil in which they are cultivated. 

 But it does not necessarily follow that the knowledge thus 

 acquired is always tm*ned to the best practical use, or that 

 any more care is now taken to secure every available source 

 of supply suitable for charring for ashes than was done many 

 years ago, before gardeners were able to give any other reason 

 for their practice than that it was justified by results. Mons. 

 J. Ch. Puis, writing on the colouring of Grapes in the 

 Bnlh'tin </' Arhoricnltnre for October, says: — "Another cause 

 may, however, prevent good colour in some soils. The Grape 

 that is in this the most sensitive is Mrs. Pince's Black Muscat. 

 It does not colour well when potash is deficient in the soil, 

 therefore I recommend always to cultivate one cane at least 

 in a house of Muscats, because it will inform you of the state 

 of the border." And he concludes by recommending the em- 

 ployment of wood-ashes in order to supply the deficiency of 

 potash. Chemical analyses have shown what a large per- 

 centage of potash is contained in the berry of the Grape, and 

 whether or not BL Puis be correct ui directly attributing the 

 lack of colour in the variety Mrs. Pince to a deficient supply 

 of that essential iu the soil, there can be no difficulty about 

 acknowledging that the peculiar inherent weakness of any 

 variety niay be expected to develope itself whenever the con- 

 ditions under which the plant is cultivated are in some part- 

 icular unfavourable. Thus, indirectly at least, more ills than 

 we are perhaps at present prepared to acknowledge owe their 

 origin to the lack, or it may be superabundance, of something 

 in the soil. A better time than the present for directing 

 attention to the necessity for making the best practical use 

 of our acquaitance with the value of wood ashes, cannot be 

 expected to occur for some time. There are at the present 

 time many thousands of tons of branches of trees torn down 

 by the gale of last month throughout the country, which 

 would make most valuable supplies of ashes that would have 

 a magical effect on gardens requiring just that assistance. 

 Quantities of the debris will litter the gromid in parks, fields, 

 and lanes for a long time, or be summarily burnt in small 

 heaps in order to clear it away, aud the resulting ashes lost for 

 aU practical purposes, if not systematically collected and care- 

 fully burnt. To secure in- the fullest degree the reteution of 

 highly beneficial gases given off during combustion the fire 

 should be kept well smothered with any small refuse that can 

 be obtained. Earth thrown upon a covering of the smaller 

 twigs will have the desired effect, but will considerably in- 

 crease the bulk of the residue; this will, however, be but a 

 slight disadvantage, quite ilisproportionate to the saving of 

 useful manure obtained by the retention of the carbon, &c., 

 which would be carried off in the atmosphere were not the 

 mode of combustion regulated. Ralph Crosslikg. — Garden- 

 ers' Chronicle. 



